Substitute's relationship with teen discovered by mom on Facebook

LIMESTONE COUNTY, AL (WAFF) -
A substitute teacher was arrested in Limestone County on Wednesday and charged with sex crimes.

Limestone County investigators said 35-year-old Karen Dyan Holt, of Athens, is charged with second degree rape, sodomy, and sex abuse.

Investigators said the arrest stems with Holt's improper sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male student.

The juvenile's parents filed a complaint with the sheriff's office on Wednesday after becoming suspicious of inappropriate contact between their son and Holt. Sheriff Mike Blakely said Holt confessed to investigators.

According to the sheriff's office, Holt met the teen when she was his substitute teacher last year at Clements High School. Limestone County Schools Superintendent Thomas Sisk said Holt filled in for four days during that time. Authorities said the woman ran into the 15-year-old at a local department store and began communicating after that. They said there is no evidence that any crime took place while school was in session.

Authorities said sexual activity between the two took place two nights ago, next door to the boy's house.

"After they started Facebooking, both parties apparently sent some sexually-explicit photos to each other," Sheriff Blakely said. "The parents got suspicious when the lady had gone to the 15-year-old's neighborhood and met him behind the neighbor's house, that was unoccupied."

Investigators said the boy's mother began looking for clues online after learning her son had left the house and discovering a van parked outside the unoccupied home. The next day, she learned of the pair's Facebook contact; she pretended to be her son online, and then revealed to Holt who she was, then went to the authorities.